5 Ways to Reach Your February Fitness Goals

It’s almost a week into the month and I’m starting to feel it: the February slump. Why is it that the shortest month of the year feels the longest? For many, winter is still at full blast; even Austin is at its chilliest. Where does that leave my fitness plan? These days, sometimes it’s easier to be cozy in bed in the morning than to put on work out clothes and get ready to sweat. It’s tempting to hold off on exercise until the temperatures rise, but we must resist! Here are 5 ways to shift your February Fitness goals into high gear!

TEAM UPNothing is better than spending time with friends, so why not do it on the track? February can defeat even the most motivated, but when it’s two against the world, anything seems doable. Don’t have a fitness buddy? Try a class or join a team sport. When you’re held accountable, either to Classpass or to the captain of the volleyball team, skipping exercise is harder to do.

TRY SOMETHING NEWMaybe your routine is getting you down in the dumps. When’s the last time you’ve switched it up? While you may have your favorite standbys, trying a new workout will do wonders for your motivation! Try a Pilates or spin class, anything that’s new and sounds exciting to you. You’ll not only conquer boredom, you’ll also prevent yourself from hitting an exercise plateau.

REMEMBER YOUR RESOLUTIONSNew Year’s resolutions–have you kept yours? If you promised yourself a 7-day workout schedule, odds are, you may not have. Don’t worry, though, resolutions can always be revisited. Write down all of your fitness goals you made at the beginning of the year. Now, rewrite them. While a daily 5-hour workout may sound good on paper, in actuality it is hard to keep up. Make your resolutions realistic and actually attainable. When you surmount a goal, the reward is intoxicating.

GO FOR THE GOLDYou know what begins on Friday? PyeongChang 2018: the Winter Olympics in South Korea. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the Olympics. (Go USA!) Though I may not be able to figure skate like a champion, the Olympics always motivate me to work stronger and harder to become a better athlete. Have kids? Create your own mini-Olympics and join in on the fun! You’ll be surprised how fast those kids can run.

SIGN UPIt’s always nice to have something to look forward to, so why not sign up for a spring race? Even a 5k needs training. Knowing you have a definite end goal at the end of the tunnel can help when you feel like you’re running in circles on a hamster wheel. A short-term race goal will up your motivation and commitment.

What are your February Fitness goals? What new routines are you trying? Tell me in the comments!